This invention relates to closure means for bins and is particularly concerned with closure means for industrial waste bins of the type which can be inverted and emptied into a waste removal truck.
It is a requirement of many municipalities for industrial waste bins to have a closure means or lid which effectively seals the interior contained waste from the external elements as well as from microorganism transmitting species such as flies. The most common form of lid which meets this requirement is a simple hinged closure which is hingedly connected to a peripheral upper edge of the bin. The closure pivots from a position where it completely overlaps the bin opening, thereby providing the necessary sealing action, through a vertical plane to a fully open position. The problem with such a lid, however, is that the lid must be opened through a relatively high arc and this creates problems when loading the bin with waste. For instance, short people may have difficulty holding onto the handle when the lid passes into its maximum arc, or the lid may prove difficult to open in windy conditions. Additionally, the lid, when being closed, has a tendency to accelerate to its seating position and this can lead to accidents such as fingers or hands being caught in the opening between the upper rim of the bin and the lid. This can be particularly disastrous when the waste bin is constructed from heavy plate iron as it commonly is.